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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/06/2021 EDAC Minutes CITY OF LINO LAKES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES I. CALL TO ORDER Chair Schueller called the Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting to order at 8:01 A.M. on May 6, 2021. II. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Mr. Cravero made a MOTION to approve the March 4, 2021 Meeting Minutes. Motion was supported by Mr. Kohler, passing unanimously. III. DISCUSSION ITEMS A. 5-Year Strategic Plan Mr. Grochala, Community Development Director, presented the staff report. EDAC is responsible for the preparation of a 5-year Economic Development Strategic Plan. The plan was last updated in 2014. With the recent adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, staff is proposing to begin work on an update. Mr. Jim Gromberg, WSB and Associates, presented a slideshow to help facilitate the process. Mr. Gromberg asked the board how successful they think the City has been over the past five years at meeting the goals outlined in the comprehensive plan. Mr. Kohler commented that he thought the City has been successful and seen good growth even during the 08-09 economic recession. Mr. Colgan expressed how satisfied he is with the outcome of the Hodgson and County Rd J (Lyngblomsten) project. DATE : May 6, 2021 TIME STARTED : 8:01 A.M. TIME ENDED : 9:02 A.M. MEMBERS PRESENT : Jim Schueller, Andrew Cravero, Nathan Vojtech, Patrick Kohler, Thomas Colgan MEMBERS ABSENT : Don Johnson, Julie Jeffrey-Schwartz, Chad Wagner STAFF PRESENT : Michael Grochala, Janele Waterman, Jessica Eller Economic Development Advisory Committee May 6, 2021 Page 2 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Vojtech mentioned several developments along the 35E corridor that will hopefully lead to future development of that area. Mr. Cravero commented that he thinks the City hasn’t been as successful at attracting new business especially those in the tech industry. Chair Schueller commented that some of these projects haven’t been completed yet and therefore once they are established will hopefully lead to more development. Mr. Gromberg concurred and then asked the board what strategies the board would like to implement for attracting and expanding existing businesses. Chair Schueller stated that prior to the pandemic the board did a couple of business retention and expansion visits. He commented that he thought the board would still be interested in doing that. He suggested targeting a certain number of businesses to visit a year. Mr. Cravero commented that by talking directly with the businesses we learn better what they want and need. He added that he liked the idea of engaging with the business community directly. Mr. Cravero also mentioned that the City should consider working with the local schools to offer job skill trainings to employees and then connect them with local businesses. Mr. Grochala stated that the City is connected with Anoka County’s CareerForce that focuses on career development and talent matching. They are also connected with the local technical colleges providing specific training for business needs. This is a program that the City is interested in trying to grow. Mr. Gromberg suggested inviting the job skills training program staff and some business owners to an EDAC meeting to discuss some of the services they provide. Mr. Vojtech asked Mr. Grochala about any City programs that assist businesses and whether or not that is still an option. Mr. Grochala stated that the City offers a business assistance program called Open to Business through Anoka County that is ongoing. Mr. Vojtech commented that this is another great resource to be able to offer businesses. Mr. Cravero also suggested that the City reach out to the Metropolitan Economic Development Association as another resource to offer to business owners. Mr. Gromberg agreed. He then asked the board how Lino Lakes can do a better job of marketing itself. Economic Development Advisory Committee May 6, 2021 Page 3 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Vojtech commented that the City had developed a brochure that painted a very detailed picture of what Lino Lakes has to offer. Mr. Cravero suggested that this brochure be available electronically as well. Mr. Grochala stated that some of this information can be found on the Cities webpage but suggested that we update some of our marketing material. Mr. Kohler stated that the City should specify what types of businesses we want to attract. Mr. Gromberg agreed. He suggested that at an upcoming meeting the board should discuss and identify which types of businesses the City wants to attract and why we want to attract them. Mr. Cravero stated that it is a type of business not a specific business. He clarified by saying we don’t want businesses that are directly competing with one another. Mr. Grochala commented the Minnesota Technology Corridor webpage lists out targeted and diverse industries that the City is trying to attract. Mr. Gromberg asked the board what kind of role the board can play in the planning of future use/disposition of City owned properties. Mr. Kohler commented that he would like to identify some properties that the City should acquire for the long-term plan. Mr. Grochala supported this idea. He commented that he has identified a few properties that are potential redevelopment opportunities. Mr. Gromberg suggested that the board identify some of these sites at a future meeting. Mr. Cravero commented that he liked the idea of creating a list of sites for redevelopment so when they come on the market they can identify which ones were of strategic importance. B. Lake Drive Land Sale Mr. Grochala, Community Development Director, gave an update on the 77th Street property acquisition. The City is still working through a purchase agreement with the principal buyer. C. Project Updates Economic Development Advisory Committee May 6, 2021 Page 4 APPROVED MINUTES Mr. Grochala gave a verbal update on Lyngblomsten. IV. ADJOURNMENT Mr. Cravero made a MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 9:02 A.M. Motion was supported by Mr. Vojtech, passing unanimously. Respectfully submitted, Jessica Eller, Community Development Intern